Law

marijuana regulation

11:58 am

Tue September 3, 2013

We’re about to find out the number of marijuana retail store locations that will be allowed in each of Washington’s 39 counties. The state’s Liquor Control Board plans to release that information Wednesday as part of the latest draft rules for Washington’s new legal pot marketplace.

County officials who issue marriage licenses in Washington state are gearing up for a possible influx of new applicants following the Internal Revenue Services’ ruling that states gay marriage will be recognized across state lines for federal tax purposes.

Taxi drivers are finding more competition on the road these days. New smartphone-based ride-sharing services are giving consumers a lot of options.

But the highly-regulated taxis call the development unfair since the new companies don’t have to play by the same rules. Both King County and the city of Seattle are trying to figure out how to respond.

War in Afghanistan

4:40 pm

Mon August 26, 2013

President Barack Obama awards U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ty M. Carter the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry, Monday, Aug. 26, 2013, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington.

At a White House ceremony Monday, President Barack Obama bestowed the Medal of Honor on Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter, a Spokane native currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Carter was honored for his actions during the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. President Obama said Carter repeatedly put his own life on the line to save others. But Obama also talked of Carter's courage in another battle, a battle here at home.

5:41 pm

Tue August 6, 2013

Over the next few weeks, Washington State Patrol and local law enforcement officers will be putting more resources into ticketing drivers who aren’t paying attention to the road. Between now and Aug. 23, officers in unmarked cars will be solely focused on scanning the roads to see if drivers are talking on cell phones or texting.

regulating marijuana

5:01 am

Mon August 5, 2013

As the state continues to hone its licensing rules for recreational marijuana businesses, local governments are working on land-use regulations that will determine where they can go. King County has drafted a new zoning law for unincorporated areas and is seeking public comment before it’s finalized.

Law

5:00 am

Wed July 24, 2013

The Somali pirates were convicted earlier this month of shooting Bob Riggle and Phylis Macay of Seattle and Jean and Scott Adam of Marina Del Rey, California. The couples were sailing in the Indian Ocean on the Adams' yacht, the Quest, when the vessel was hijacked by the pirates in February 2011.

The sentencing hearing for the Somali nationals is taking place this week in a Virginia courtroom, and could stretch into early next week.

Eleven other Somalis involved in the incident have pleaded guilty and are serving life sentences.

Traffic Cameras

5:16 pm

Mon July 22, 2013

Get caught on camera speeding through a school zone, and you may find yourself with a $189 ticket in your mailbox. Those fines add up fast: The city has collected more than $3 million as of last month.

So what happens to all that money? The Seattle City Council voted Monday to direct all of it into a special fund, to pay for safety improvements near schools. That could include sidewalk repairs, better lighting and fixing curbs.

Driving

5:00 am

Mon July 15, 2013

Summer is a great time for a road trip. But if you’re someone who tends to put the pedal to the metal, spending more time on the highway probably increases your chance of being pulled over for speeding. Which raises the question: what does it take to avoid getting issued a ticket?

regulating nightlife

7:52 pm

Mon July 8, 2013

By state law, bars in Washington have to stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m. And when bars close down, people who’ve been drinking hit the streets all at once. In Seattle last weekend, that phenomenon became extreme in the Belltown neighborhood, reviving a public policy debate.